Dr. Jeffrey Sargent: New Director of Global Perspectives

Starting this semester, psychology professor Dr. Jeffrey Sargent is the new director of Global Perspectives and International Programs. 

Before accepting this position, Sargent was the department chair of behavioral sciences for 12 years and an interim for one year. 

In 2007, Sargent went on his first global perspective trip by guiding the psychology trip to Europe. In 2010, Sargent was invited to teach at European Theological Seminary (ETS), a partner college in Germany. 

“I fell in love with the Global Perspectives program as a participant. Along the way, it also became a calling,” Sargent said.

Since then, he has led multiple trips to Germany, guided the UK semester long trip and returned to teach multiple times at ETS.

“Each one of those experiences for me have been a wonderful privilege, because I watch students change. They learn about themselves; they learn about the other culture. They learn about their own culture,” said Sargent. “Once you get people out of context, it gets you to think about yourself and think about your relationships.” 

Sargent’s main goal for the Global Perspectives office is to re-engage students and faculty. For students and faculty alike, Global Perspectives gives the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, engage in a new culture and create lasting memories. As someone who has traveled on many cross-cultural trips, Sargent sees what students and faculty are missing when they decide to take a domestic trip and is determined to get more involvement. 

“I'm going to look for ways in Global Perspectives and international programs to get my students overseas, to get my students who are overseas to Lee, and to get my colleagues going and teaching these students and leading trips. I'm just trying to get my people crossing over,” Sargent said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Perspectives office offered more domestic trips. Since then, students often view these domestic trips as the simplest way to achieve the credit requirement because of the price. 

Sargent explained that “there are two components to the price of a trip. One is the actual travel overseas or wherever you're going, the flight, the food, etc. That's one part of the price, which you are getting at a reduced price because you're traveling with other people… The other side of that is the tuition.”

Students can save money when taking a Global Perspectives trip with multiple credits. At Lee, one credit costs $960. For cross-cultural trips, the price per credit is reduced 75 percent, dropping the price to $240 per credit. 

Sargent further explained that students should not limit their options when they see an initial sticker price of a trip. Since the part of the price is tuition, students can apply for financial aid and scholarships, including the Andy Sinclair scholarship. Any Lee student can apply if the student has a 2.5 grade point average (GPA). Priority will be given to students with no previous cross cultural experience, academic performance and financial need.

“Now it’s time to go and travel. Now it’s time to go back overseas,” Sargent said.

For more information about Global Perspectives trips, visit their website at https://globalperspectives.leeuniversity.edu/ or their new office in the Humanities building room 106.